Happy Wednesday to all our fellow dirt bike lovers. This week, we are collaborating with Carissa Brunazzi, who has her own blog TrailblazeHERS. Her blog is focused on dirt bike related content geared towards female riders. She is part of our local series in Western Pennsylvania that was mentioned in our small business series- AWRCS.

If you check out Carissa's blog, you'll learn that she started riding dirt bikes around the age of 2. She grew up in the Pittsburgh area (where we are based out of!) with off-road loving parents who then passed down the love of riding to her and her siblings. She started off on a PW 50 with training wheels, but by the age of 16 was racing alongside her brothers. She received her first big bike as a graduation present in 2005 and has never looked back, even upgrading to the KTM XC-W she rides today. 

After life put dirt bikes on the backburner, Carissa stepped back into the racing world in 2021. She is determined to prove that "women and especially mothers are tough, strong, and determined." She hopes her blog will be a place for women of the dirt bike racing world to discuss their efforts and share tips and advice.

For our collaboration with Carissa, we asked her the following question: How has the racing community impacted your life? 

"My first introduction to this sport was in early childhood. I was raised by a family of dirt bike racers, so some of my earliest memories are that of GNCC races in the 90’s. My first taste of the excitement of dirt bike racing, through my own experience, was in 2011. I started with local AMA sanctioned races where there were only about 30 people to a race. After a few of those, I decided to try an up-and-coming series named AWRCS. This series opened my eyes to the real excitement of the sport. A few hundred people lined up with engines revving, the air filled with the smell of Klotz. I knew I was right where I belonged. AWRCS taught me a lot about myself and the rider I wanted to be. I felt at home at every race, and still do to this day, almost 13 years later. The staff know you by name, and you see friendly faces everywhere you look. That community is made up of some of the most genuine, kind and supportive people I have ever met. Even when you are 5 feet over the hill in some bush, someone is going to stop to make sure you are alright. I met some women at these races that I hope to have friendships with for the rest of my life. It can be hard as a woman to feel like you fit in at a race. Luckily, AWRCS has an amazing set of female athletes that show outstanding sportsmanship. That has been the greatest impact on my life from racing thus far. These women have taught me that when faced with adversity and a challenge, we will rise to occasion. I have learned how strong I am, mentally and physically. Racing is hard. That is just the nature of it. But I would like to see these women start to get some recognition for what they can do. The larger series, like GNCC, began to prioritize women years ago as more and more women began participating. I hope that as we continue to grow our numbers, the smaller series’ will showcase women in a different light. I hope we can make racing more inclusive. I want to see the faces of the female riders advertised on media platforms, and showcased in a way that promotes more participation. I am excited to continue to watch the growth of women, and men in this sport. There is truly nothing else like it."

Photo from Carissa's blog

We couldn't agree with Carissa more! The dirt bike racing community is a special group of people that become more like family. Everyone is inviting and you'll most likely find some lifelong friendships along the way. I've also experienced it first hand, as I grew up attending AWRCS as well. I even used to work there prior to being here at Senge Graphics. The staff at AWRCS to help whether you're an experienced rider or just starting out. 

If you've been considering becoming part of the racing scene, go for it! Now is a great time to try out a few to see if you want to commit for next year. The last AWRCS race is Rock Run in Patton, PA October 12th and 13th. You could also catch GNCC this weekend for the John Penton in Millfield, OH. Both races are within reasonable distance from where we are located in Pittsburgh, PA.

Check back every Wednesday to our blog for more dirt bike related information whether its tips and tricks, race results, or hearing from local riders like Carissa Brunazzi. Remember to check out her blog TrailblazeHERS also!